The off-Broadway Mint Theater is known for its mission of reviving great plays that you probably never heard of. Last year the Mint had a successful run with Garside’s Career by Harold Brighouse. (The British playwright is best known for Hobson’s Choice which had a healthy run on Broadway in 1915.) This year, the company is mounting Zack, another delightful Brighouse play, written in 1916, that’s rarely if ever performed in the US. Adding to the unique accomplishment of the storied company, the Mint isn’t just satisfied with resurrecting forgotten plays, they are staged with a wink and a nod to our modern sensibilities. Gone is the native Lancashire accent in this production, welcome a multi-racial cast. Does lightning strike twice with the Mint’s latest? Maybe not, but if it’s a pleasant diversion you’re after, Zack might just hit the sweet spot.
It’s a tight little romantic comedy populated by cynical schemers, social climbers and, refreshingly, one honest-to-God good guy. That would be the title character played to the charming hilt by Jordan Matthew Brown. But Zack is not your typical protagonist. He is the black sheep in the Munning family led by his widowed mother Mrs. Munning (Melissa Maxwell) who, along with her elder son Paul (David T. Patterson) are struggling to keep their catering business afloat. Zack is the third wheel, the wastrel as they regard him, a lazy, touched-in-the-head, careless chap who always seems to be doing the wrong thing. His Zack is smart yet clueless, perceptive yet naive, thoughtful yet artless. In short, as played, he is a young man whom we might describe today as being “on the spectrum.” His business-minded mother and brother have no patience and treat him with utter disdain.
You might wonder where’s the comedy in all of that, but it’s clear that Brighouse’s intention with this mannered play was far more than making us laugh. Deep down Zack is a social commentary and Brighouse, a highly skilled writer, had a gift for weaving humor into his ideas about society’s unsavory ambitions. Zack’s mother and brother are capitalists, seeking to make deals at the expense of ethical and even moral considerations. There is no room for Zack in their financial calculations. But everything changes with the arrival of young cousin Virginia (Cassia Thompson), who happens to be very wealthy.
As the play begins, Mrs. Munning is determined to look wealthy herself even though her business is failing. Her aim is to set up Paul with Virginia to get her hands on some of that family money. To keep up the charade, she’s hired Sally (Caroline Festa) a young woman in town to play the part of housemaid. Laughs are mined when it’s clear that Sally lacks the requisite skills.
The plot turns farcical as more characters enter the scene. Britt Berke’s nimble direction keeps the action and laughs humming. Her nuanced staging nicely balances both the humor and the playwright’s pointed messaging. There’s also a feminist angle in the play as all of the female characters turn out to be much sharper than they initially seem.
The nine member company is top shelf. Each of the fine actors possess impressive comic timing and they shine in ways you don’t see coming. Among them, Sean Runnette as bullying antagonist Joe Wrigley who maximizes the comic effect with his over-sized frame. As the striving Mrs. Munning, Melissa Maxwell expertly manages a perpetual state of exasperation. Her son Paul is the play’s villain. Described as a well-built man “with meanness stamped upon an otherwise not unattractive face,” David T. Patterson is perfectly cast. Cousin Virginia enters as you’d expect a young woman of wealth – politely demure and unassuming – but by play’s end, she’s a fierce tiger. Kudos to Cassia Thompson who makes the transition seem honest and real.
Best of all is Jordan Matthew Brown whose unvarnished performance as the misfit Zack is truly remarkable. He dives headfirst into Zack’s awkwardness with gusto. It’s not pretty. When told to wash his hands, he admits “I’m not so frequent at the soap as I might be.” He’s unapologetically overweight, saying “eating agrees with me” and he’s hopelessly insecure, but with all that, his innate kindness is profound, and trumps any and all of his less attractive traits. It’s an acting feat that deserves high praise.
As the world seems to be falling apart and we are witness to cruelty in its most abject forms, the Mint Theater deserves an extra bow for its timing. How wise to dust off this long-forgotten play now and bring it back into the light. And if you find it dated and certainly hokey, Zack arrives as a gentle reminder of the power of simple kindness. At a cultural moment when empathy feels alarmingly scarce, Zack’s sweet humanity lands with unexpected force. And in today’s transactional social climate, it is a virtue in desperate demand yet far too short in supply.
